FALL 09 RUNWAY: 80S REDUX

REVIEWING LOOKS COMING OFF THE RUNWAYS OF NEW YORK FASHION WEEK, THE OVERARCHING THEME SEEMS TO BE THE 80s. FROM THE BRIGHT COLORS, TRIANGULAR SILHOUETTES, AND AN EMPHASIS ON EXAGGERATED SHOULDERS, DESIGNERS BIG AND SMALL ARE REFERENCING THE OVERINDULGENCE OF THE WALL STREET DECADE.

LOOK 1: CHADO RALPH RUCCI, FALL 09
LOOK 2: BADGLEY MISCHKA, FALL 09

FOR THE DOWNTOWN CROWD, THERE WAS AN ABUNDANCE OF HIGH-SHEEN BLACK LEATHER AND TOUGH LOOKS OF TEENAGE PUNKS. NO DESIGNER DID IT BETTER THIS SEASON THAN BETSEY JOHNSON, THE ORIGINAL ENFANT TERRIBLE OF THE EIGHTIES, AND POSSIBLY THE ONLY DESIGNER WHO WAS ABLE TO REFERENCE HERSELF. FOR FALL 09, FOREGOING THE RUNWAY, JOHNSON PRESENTED LOOKS IN HER STUDIO'S KITCHEN.

BETSEY JOHNSON, FALL 09

NOTE THE SEQUINS, ANIMAL PRINT, RUFFLES, AND NEON TIGHTS. IF MOLLY RINGWALD HAD EVER GIVEN INTO HER INNER BAD GIRL, THIS IS WHAT SHE WOULD HAVE WORN TO HER COMING OUT PARTY. WE'VE BEEN SEEING OPAQUE TIGHTS IN EVERY HUE SINCE FALL 08, BUT THIS SEASON THEY WERE POPPING UP IN DIZZYING PRINTS.

BETSEY JOHNSON, FALL 09

AT JENNI KAYNE, THE COOL-FACTOR WAS PUT BACK INTO THE LOOK, INFUSING THE COLLECTION WITH A TRUE WEARABILITY AND AN HONEST SENSE OF NOW.

JENNI KAYNE, FALL 09

THE TREND BEGS THE QUESTION, HOWEVER, WASN'T ANYBODY READING NEWSPAPERS WHILE DESIGNING? HISTORICALLY, A RECESSION, OR DEPRESSION DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ARE LISTENING TO, TRANSLATES INTO FASHIONS TRENDING TOWARDS DEMURE AND UTILITARIAN. SILHOUETTES ARE CUT CLOSE TO THE BODY, AND THE EMPHASIS LIES ON SUITS AND ALL-USE PIECES. IS THIS A DELIBERATE BACKLASH TO MEDIA DRIVEN GLOOM AND DOOM? WILL IT TRANSLATE TO RETAIL DOLLARS? ONLY TIME WILL TELL, AS THE SAYING GOES.

I'M INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT WILL COME OUT OF THE UPCOMING MONTREAL AND TORONTO FASHION WEEKS. MORE OF THE SAME OR WILL CANADIAN DESIGNERS HAVE A DIFFERENT TAKE ON THE WORLD ECONOMY?